Health workers want charge 'put to bed'

LESS than one in 25 health workers back the toll tax. A poll by Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust – who run North Manchester General – revealed only 21 members of staff out of 542 polled supported plans to introduce congestion charging.

A poll by Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust – who run North Manchester General – revealed only 21 members of staff out of 542 polled supported plans to introduce congestion charging.

It comes as the 14-week consultation period on Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) proposals to invest £2.8bn in public transport improvements in return for setting up pay-as-you-drive scheme ended last Friday (10 October).

The Trust itself, who run three other hospitals alongside North Manchester General, say they polled 10,000 members of staff through its intranet, with just over one in 20 voting.

They refused to give a view on the TIF bid – despite a resounding ‘no’ against the proposals from its workers.

Fin McNicol, head of communications, urged caution on the figures despite the large number of workers who registered their opposition.

He said: "We would caution against drawing any blanket conclusions based on this. A large number of people did not express a view."

TIF proposals are particularly contentious among staff at North Manchester General, who look almost certain to be inside the congestion charge zone.

They would be faced with the prospect of paying to go to work at peak times if they live outside the M60.

This is despite reassurances by Manchester City Council chief executive, Sir Howard Bernstein, who told the Middleton Guardian that staff at North Manchester would be offered ‘real alternatives’ to using their car to get to work.

A spokesperson for Rochdale Lib Dems, who are backing the TIF bid dismissed the findings of the poll.

They said: "We take this survey with a pinch of salt.

"No one at the Trust has offered any evidence what so ever of their result and it looks to use like a bunch of self-serving, partisans members of the no campaign who are seeking publicity based on deceit.

"We have spoken to 30 members of staff and not one was aware of there being a poll or one being carried out.

"We just hope people will look at the facts rather than malicious mischief like this."

The results of the poll and comments made by staff will now be passed onto the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive who are heading the TIF bid.

A referendum is set to take place across Greater Manchester in December.